A "Dare" from my friend, Allison

So, if you head on over to Allison's blog, you'll find a post about her winning a bloggy award. I don't know that I am in the running, but I thought I'd take the "dare" that she kind of put out there for me. I suppose Matt could also do this, since it is his blog as well. But let's be honest. Really, this is my thing. Matt just guest writes when he has either had to much to drink and is feeling sentimental, or I am somehow out of the blogging loop and important information needs to be shared (like the birth of Steve). 

So, I present to you, 10 REALLY honest things about me (some of these may not surprise you).

1.  I am terrified of the following things: thunderstorms, driving through thunderstorms, the dark, and being alone too long in the house (especially at night). I get a little paranoid in the dark, all by myself in the house. In fact, I just said to Matt the other day that I need to get some sort of weapon to put by the bed to feel a little safer. The unfortunate part of our house is that Steve's bedroom is closer to the front door than ours, so...Yeah, the paranoid thoughts are flowing.

2. I am terrible at making friends. Terrible. I think I'm too judgmental, both of myself and other people, which is not good. I also have a very hard time letting my guard down. I would like to blame this on bad previous experiences, but really, the friendships I made in the past that failed all taught me something, so that isn't really it. This probably explains why I really don't have any friends in Racine and we've lived here for a year and half. One of these days...

3. I watch really bad t.v. and am not ashamed of it at all. Matt gives me a hard time every time he sees one of my bad shows on. Give it a rest, dude. Why do I watch such bad t.v.? Because my brain needs a break. I don't watch t.v. to become a better person, to learn something new (not usually, at least), and become more intelligent. Nope. I watch t.v. for the pure enjoyment of it all. The fact that I can zone out for 42 minutes and all I have to worry about is making sure I fast-forward through the commercials is bliss. I will continue to watch bad t.v. until I die.

4. I don't really think I want to be a stay at home mom. Sure, I complain about my job. Yes, I would love to spend more time with Steve. But at the end of the day, my brain needs too much stimulation for Steve and this house to provide on their own. I need those kids that I complain about all the time to keep me on my toes, and the teacher friends (wait, I thought you didn't have any friends, Angie?) to talk to. Don't get me wrong, I am totally looking forward to my summers with Steve and hopefully more kids in the future. But I also think it is very important for Steve to be around other kids frequently. And, since I'm terrible at making friends, we can't depend on me to join playgroups or anything like that.

5. I can not tell you how I am able to juggle a 9 month old, grad school, work, and life. I don't know how I do it, I just know that I do. Boy, will I be glad when grad school is over, or at least on a break, so I can breathe a little easier, relax a little more, and enjoy our life.

6. I have far too many infatuations with famous people. It's kind of unhealthy. Let's see...The captains from Deadliest Catch, Jon Bon Jovi, Craig Ferguson, and Gerrard Butler, just to name a few. Matt is much better at elaborating on this list than I am. He is very entertained by my boyfriend list.

7. Steve fascinates me every single day. This probably isn't that surprising. I just can't believe this smart (oh, man, is he smart), handsome, funny, and adorable little man came from me, is 1/2 me and 1/2 Matt. I also can't believe how much love I have to give. I thought I loved Matt with all my heart. And I do. But I must have another heart in here because I love Steve with all my heart too. It's just incredible.

8. I love custard and ice cream. Love. Them. That's not good for a girl who is supposed to limit her carbohydrate intake in order to maintain a healthy weight. And ever since giving birth, I feel like I have no willpower to say no to these frozen treats. What's up with that?

9. I grew up a Cubs fan. Last April, I did the unthinkable: I switched my allegiances to the Milwaukee Brewers. I don't think my dad will ever forgive me.

10. I am making a conscious effort not to complain or focus on negative things. I think it happened when Steve was born. I realized that I don't want him growing up with a negative outlook on life. In order for that to happen, I have to re-think my own outlook. I still complain, but I try really hard to complain about insignificant things,if I just have to do it. I also try really really really hard not to say mean things randomly (like when I'm driving) about other people, especially people I don't know. And to just let things go. This one is a bit harder than the others. I'm a work in progress. Check back in 50 years. I'll let you know how things are progressing.

So, those are my 10 REALLY honest things. Did anything surprise you?

We have updated the pictures. Head on over and take a look. The pictures from my weekend in Cedar Falls are not there yet. But, you will be totally jealous when you see that Steve can play the guitar!